So called “spend-and-get” customer reward systems have been in place for some time. In such systems the customer buys a certain amount of a product or a service of a vending merchant or service provider and gets so many more of the item or service for free. Except for buy-one-get-one-free or the like systems, redeemable by one trip to the establishment of the merchant, such systems are typically managed by the customer retaining some purchase record, such as a so-called “punch card.” The merchant or employee/agent of the merchant validates a purchase each time the customer goes to the merchant's place of business and makes the purchase. The disclosed subject matter provides improvements in such systems.